Campaigning today in his homestate of Michigan, Mitt Romney stepped into the birther controversy, telling a crowd he's never been asked to prove his birthplace -- a reference to calls from conspiracy-minded folks who refuse to believe President Obama was born in Hawaii, despite the evidence.
"I love being home in this place where Ann and I were raised, where both of us were born," Romney told a crowd in Commerce, Mich. "Ann was born in Henry Ford Hospital. I was born at Harper Hospital. No one's ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised."
The Obama campaign responded with outrage, accusing Romney of embracing "the most strident voices in his party instead of standing up to them.
"It's one thing to give the stage in Tampa to Donald Trump, Sheriff Arpaio, and Kris Kobach," Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt said. "But Governor Romney's decision to directly enlist himself in the birther movement should give pause to any rational voter across America."
Obama later tweeted: @BarackObama: Song of the day: Born in the U.S.A. OFA.BO/irL3ZV. Romney later told CBS it wasn't a "swipe" at Obama, but an attempt at humor.
The AP says top Romney adviser Kevin Madden "tried to walk the comments back shortly after, saying: 'The governor has always said, and has repeatedly said, he believes the president was born here in the United States.'
"Madden said Romney did not need to apologize because he was simply drawing attention to the fact that Michigan, where he was campaigning, was the state where he himself was born and raised."
Romney has said he believes Obama when he says he was born in Hawaii, but he has not distanced himself from real estate mogul Donald Trump, who has said he's hired investigators to look into the circumstances.
Within hours, the Obama campaign was fundraising on the incident, with campaign manager Jim Messina telling donors in an email titled "A New Low for Mitt Romney," to "take a moment or two to think about that, what he's actually saying, and what it says about Mitt Romney. Then make a donation of $5 or more to re-elect Barack Obama today."
Romney's joke ranked right up there with the birthers conspiracy. Earlier this month he talked about calling a truce with President Obama.He complained the President being negative, all the while continuing his attacks against the President. Romney wants to write campaign scripts for the President and himself.
Romney, along with Republicans, expected President Obama to retreat, allowing them to swift boat him like they did John Kerry. Senator Barack Obama watched the political drowning of Kerry like the rest of America. The President is engaging them in a political fight they did not expect. They are thoroughly confused and frustrated.
So now Romney is crying in whatever Mormons drink, demanding that the President stop talking about his (Romney) work history, tax returns, his stance on Medicare, the economy and other issues. Romney has lost sight of the fact that American voters are demanding to see his tax returns. They are not "small minded" for asking.
The so-called "joke" that Romney parted with in Michigan on Friday was not a joke. It was a Freudian slip disguised as a "joke". It drew applause and laughter.
After the rally, a reporter or blogger with a camcorder talked to a woman supporter. He asked if she believed the President was born in America. She quickly answered that she had not see his birth certificate. She said the long form was not authentic. As she talked, she appeared to be getting angry. She wanted to see the President's college transcripts. Where did he go to school all those years, she wanted to know. However, she had no doubt that Romney was born in America.
The woman was proof positive that not everyone thought Romney was merely telling a joke to warm up the crowd.
Posted by: dorothy charles banks | August 25, 2012 at 03:44 PM
What Romney was pointing out is that expecting dignity, honor, or truth from the right is laughable.
Posted by: ibsteve2u | August 25, 2012 at 02:01 PM
And here I thought jokes were supposed to be funny.
Posted by: Ivan | August 24, 2012 at 11:24 PM
Romney is carrying on the obnoxious humor he started in Great Britain. It flopped there. He should recall the stomping Trump took at the press banquet a year or so ago. These are pathetic charges and only the truly pathetic make them. If the Mitt fits...
Posted by: Michael Collins | August 24, 2012 at 11:23 PM
A miscreant Mormon worshiper of Mammon questioning veracity and legitimacy? That's rich.
Posted by: junior | August 24, 2012 at 07:46 PM
Pardon my French, but what a f*cking d*ick!
Posted by: Kent | August 24, 2012 at 07:19 PM
Romney never, ever criticizes the "birthers", never says they are wrong, never does anything to stand up to them. I don't think he has the courage to do it. His "I believe he was born in America" is about the weakest statement he could make and about the most he has the guts to stand up for.
How about "He WAS born in America and those who don't believe the overwhelming proof of that are simply wrong." The reason he never says anything like that is because he doesn't have the leadership skills to take that kind of no nonsense stand.
Posted by: R. Burleigh | August 24, 2012 at 05:03 PM
This was no joke.. He does not have the ability to pull that off.
This was purely pandering to the bagger base..when you think about it rather desperate at this late stage..
Classless and despicable! racist and a primal scream by a flailing nasty scared excuse for a human!
Posted by: Docb | August 24, 2012 at 04:59 PM
Like all of his "jokes" not even close to funny.
Posted by: James Singer | August 24, 2012 at 04:48 PM